‘Love is able to be recognized and remembered differently depending on each other’s situation.’ Everybody would empathize with these words. In the world, a lot of love stories are told but most people know or understand only their own situation. However, the love story of only one person is a half-love. In this section, I will introduce the book Between Calmness and Passion, divided into two books about a man and a woman’s story. Under the same title these books were written by a male writer and a female writer and translated by a couple translator. Let’s take time to think about the essence of love through the male character, Junsei and the female character, Aoi’s love story.
Aoi and Junsei, who were once a couple, are living in different places and falling in love with different people. Aoi works at a jewelry shop in Milan and cohabits with Marvin who is an American boyfriend. One day, her Japanese school mate, Takashi, comes to Aoi during his travels. Aoi recalls memories in Japan in spite of herself. Junsei remains deep in her heart. She tries to erase him but one day, a letter from Junsei is delivered to Aoi. Due to the letter, she suddenly disturbed and feels as if she is being swept away by the waves.
Junsei’s job is to restore works of art in Firenze. He has an unruly girlfriend, Memi. However, he misses Aoi maddeningly every moment. Junsei hears that his grandfather is sick and goes to Japan. In Japan, Junsei receives Aoi’s address from Takashi who had traveled there and left. He comes to know Aoi’s pain in the past and writes a letter to her. Even if Memi knows his mind, she wants to be with him. However, Junsei says goodbye to Memi. He goes back to Firenze to keep a promise with Aoi that was made ten years ago.
“After 10 years on my 30th birthday, let’s climb Firenze Duomo together. On that day, if we aren’t together, let’s meet there.” 10 years ago, when they were in Tokyo, Aoi said those words to Junsei. They first met at university in Tokyo and fell in love. They talked about everything and loved each other as if they were twins who had met again after having been separated. They called and loved each other ‘my field (a man who is generous and delicate like a field and has some wildness)’, ‘my square (a woman who is frank like a square which runs right into a dead end suddenly)’. They had some special things that only they could feel. Then one day when Junsei wasn’t at home, Aoi was at his home alone and Junsei’s father came. He found out a sonogram of a fetus on the table, and verbally abused Aoi. Then he told her that there was a well-matched girl for Junsei and he wouldn’t allow Junsei to marry Aoi who was unchaste enough to secretly cohabit. Junsei didn’t know this. Aoi decided to have surgery in secret. She decided to break up with him by saying harsh words. At that time, Aoi and Junsei were quite young.
After ten years, on May 25, Aoi’s birthday, Junsei climbs on the top of Firenze Duomo in the early morning. Aoi arrives at the jewelry shop as usual. But she realizes that she should not be in that place. So she takes a train bound for Firenze. At long last, they meet again. They talk about their memories and their lives. For four days, they spend time together and Aoi intends to go back to Milan. Junsei thinks that she looks so happy in Milan. So he can’t hold her back. Neither can Aoi tell him to take hold of her when he doesn’t. Aoi goes to a station to take the express train. Left alone, Junsei hesitates and thinks that if he turns his back in fear, new chances won’t come to him. If he takes Trans Europe Express, he can arrive in Milan fifteen minutes earlier than Aoi. Expecting a new future, he puts his right foot on the train with a deep breath. Here the story ends.